Milk Can Help Prevent or Delay Knee Osteoarthritis

In recent results published in the American College of Rheumatology journal Arthritis Care & Research researchers have found that women who drink milk regularly might experience delayed progression of knee osteoarthritis. They even found that women who ate cheese on a regular basis found the progression of knee osteoarthritis to be expedited. Yogurt did not seem to have an effect on progression of the ailment.

Osteoarthritis, commonly known as wear and tear arthritis, is a condition in which the natural cushioning between joints, the cartilage, wears away. This results in the bones coming on closer contact with each other and reduces the shock-absorbing capabilities of the cartilage. The ripple effects of this can be aches, swelling, stiffness, decreased ability to move and, sometimes, the formation of bone spurs. It is said that more than 27 million people in the US are affected by Osteoarthritis out of which the knee is the leading affected area. One of the main causes of this is age; the others could include weight, genes, gender and even repetitive stress injuries.

Researchers revealed that if women drank fat-free or low-fat milk then the progression of their knee osteoarthritis could be delayed. Interestingly the research also revealed that men are not affected by these factors. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) is under the impression that Osteoarthritis of the knee could be a result of “mechanical and molecular events in the affected joint.”

The study’s lead investigator, Dr. Bing Lu from Brigham & Women’s Hospital in Boston, MA, carried out this study and it is said to be one of the largest ever to study the effects of dairy products on the development of knee Osteoarthritis. There was an estimate of 2000 individuals with knee Osteoarthritis studied.